The Best Beauty and Spa Treatments for the Holiday Season

Just outside of London, Intrigue is Kent's award-winning cosmetic clinic for a reason. Led by Intrigue founder Amish Patel, patients feel reassured in his presence not just because he’s a stickler for safety (a long-standing accredited member of Save Face, a national register of aesthetic practitioners recognised by the Government), or because of his extensive experience and training, but because of his easy-going charm, chatting away to clients like they are old friends. If you want dermal fillers that are "quite subtle, but also noticeable," which is the kind of infuriatingly vague request most doctors find it hard to deliver on, after one consultation with Amish, patients will be at ease and able to make a clearer request of more 'prominent cheekbones' or the use of dermal filler to define or sharpen their natural features. Using a hyaluronic-acid filler that, he says, offers longevity, is reversible and metabolises in the body naturally, Amish moulds and contours the filler once injected using his hands to ensure it's evenly distributed using a massage technique that is the key to achieving the best results. There is no downtime, just a little light bruising depending on the patient, and although the effects are subtle, you come out looking and feeling a cut above the rest.

Prices start at £250, intriguecosmeticclinic.com

With the likes of the Kardashian’s and a new wave of Instagram models sporting fuller lips, lip filler has remained one of the most popular aesthetic treatments, but it’s no longer all about the ‘trout pout’. Many of those stars are now opting for lip filler correction and subtle lip enhancement is the new order of the day. 111 Harley street's specialist aesthetic nurse practitioner, Bianca McEwan augments, reshapes, and redefines lips working with a client's natural border and even dissolving filler from previous injections.The technique and amount of injections will vary from patient to patient but Bianca will discuss the type of filler best suited to you and your goals. The amount of filler injected typically varies between 0.5ml and 2ml. You may need to gradually build up the lips over a few treatment sessions until you achieve the result you are looking for; this also gives the practitioner more control over the lip volume. Swelling can affect the outcome, and spreading the treatments out gradually allows your lips time to stretch and settle into their new shape without overfilling them.

Prices start from £300, 111harleystreet.com

Beauty and aesthetics expert and specialist in non-surgical procedures, Shane Cooper is responsible for the glowing skin and sculpted bodies of celebrities and press alike, offering bespoke treatments to very client in order to truly deliver visible and corrective results without the need for surgery or invasive procedures. His varied body treatment menu is tailored to each client's 'problem areas' to reduce fat cells and cellulite while stimulating circulation and lymphatic drainage, leaving the skin feeling firmer, lifted, and oxygenated. Using a clinically proven machine which literally 'irons out' the targeted area and boosts collagen using gold standard radio frequency, and even works on scarring and pigmentation. Results are visible straight after treatment, but it's recommended that you opt for multiple sessions to maintain the improved appearance of the skin and to get best results.

Prices start from £380, shanecooperuk.com

Every bit as luxurious as you would expect from The Corinthia, the ESPA spa makes you feel a world away from the busy streets of central London. From the beautiful open fires and marble floors to the aqua-blue pools and careful draping, everything is done for your comfort. Relaxation will quickly overcome you here as you choose from a selection of relaxing and beautifying treatments. We reccomend the ESPA Iconic Back, Face And Scalp Treatment; complete with back exfoliation, hot stone massage, scalp treatment and a facial. Using the purest of  aromatherapy oils, targeted massage techniques and a facial routine that's personalised to your own needs, this procedure will completely relax you and breathe life back into haggard skin. A great treatment to deliver immediate results and unwind after a stressful day.

Prices start from £320, espalifeatcorinthia.com

Nestled in the heart of Knightsbridge, the spa at the Madarin Oriental Hyde Park seems like a natural stop off to visit after a shopping-spree at all of the neighbouring department stores. From chinese medicine practices to Nescens facials, the five-star spa offers plenty of choices for visitors hoping to relax or revitalise, and there's even a magical mosaic-tiled Rasul water temple for guests to enjoy mineral-rich steam baths. Those looking for a quick-fix for tired eyes should try the Nescens Eye Contour Correcting Care Treatment. Expect a pharmaceutical gel mask containing 30 active ingredients, followed by a massage around the eye area to promote bloody flow, inject life back into tired eyes and add some all-important hydration.

Prices start from £105, mandarinoriental.com

Hidden in plain sight, Apogii Clinic is right in the heart of Notting Hill on Westbourne Grove. It's a wellness centre specialising in cryotherapy but offer a selection of treatments such as facials and beauty treatments in a comfortable, welcoming setting. Beginners should try the three minute Cryotherapy session, as you'll certainly be surprised by how much can be achieved in this short time frame. In three minutes, the average heart will beat 216 times, thought we're not sure it will be quite that much inside Apogii's Cryo chamber where temperates reach -109. There's no doubt after three minutes you'll feel great (although that could be survivor's euphoria), but the effects are more noticeable on aching muscles, which benefit from a speedier recovery following the freezing temperatures. For this reason, Cryotherapy is frequently used by elite athletes around the world.

Prices start from £80, apogiiclinic.co.uk

Operating from inside Harrods and 28 Market Place in Oxford Circus, Louise Bailey is London's leading hair extension specialist. Believing no two heads of hair are ever the same, Louise offers a bespoke service to every client. Specialising in tape hair extensions, which are incredibly easy to maintain, comfortable to wear and feel as natural as your own hair, Louise offers clients thick, full, Rapunzel-esque locks. If you're looking for the best hair extensions in London, there's no other place to go.

Prices start from £250, hair-extensionslondon.co.uk

Dr Galyna, based in the chic location of Knightsbridge at the Dr Rita Rakus Clinic overlooking Harrods, is a body contouring specialist with the sole ambition of helping her clients achieve their dream figure. With a list of celebrity clientele, and a host of treatments on offer, it's no surprise the clinic is alive and busy.A method of fat freezing to help sculpt your body, Cristal Ice works to freeze fat cells which consequently destroys them for good. It's a form of cryolipolysis involving in a simple, non-invasive and pain-free procedure that takes just over an hour. An easy, effortless way to target and eliminate fat with minimal action required from you. In fact, we'd recommend taking a book and settling in, there's plenty of tea on offer. Results begin to show in two to three months, so best to get started with this one early.

Prices start from £895, drritarakus.co.uk

A retreat from the stressful crowds of Oxford Street, Margaret Dabbs has set up shop in London's age-old luxury department store. The luxury brand is naturally in keeping with the rest of the store and the sole spa offers your feet a much needed rest from pounding the London pavements. To ensure that your toes are in pristine condition for walking around the deck on your next superyacht holiday, book in a supreme pedicure. Over 55 glorious minutes, relax and put your feet up as the wizards at Margaret Dabbs exfoliate, moisturise, massage and relieve tension from your feet.

 Prices start from £60, margaretdabbs.co.uk